1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flame-retardant resin composition which has an excellent flame retardance without using a halogen-containing flame-retardant and to a laminate in which the same is used.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thermosetting resins, representatives of which are epoxy resins and the like, have excellent characteristics, and hence, have been widely used in parts of electric and electronic appliances and the like, and in many examples, flame retardance has been imparted to the thermosetting resins for making sure the safety for fire. In order to make these resins flame-retardant, it has been general to use a halogen-containing compound such as a brominated epoxy compound and the like. These halogen-containing compounds have a high flame retardance; however, brominated aromatic compounds have the possibility of not only releasing bromine and hydrogen bromide, which are both corrosive, upon thermal decomposition, but also forming polybromodibenzofuran and polybromodibenzodioxine, both of which have a high toxicity, upon decomposition in the presence of oxygen. Moreover, the handling of worn-out scrap materials containing bromine and refuse disposal are very difficult. It is a well-known known fact that for such reasons, phosphorus compounds have been widely studied as flame-retardants to be substituted for the bromine-containing flame-retardants. However, when a phosphorus compound is used alone in thermosetting resins of the epoxy resin type, it is necessary to add a large amount of the phosphorus compound for obtaining a sufficient flame retardance, and this is disadvantageous in that the mechanical, chemical and electrical characteristics are remarkably deteriorated.